Suggestions - Birthday dinner

[mousaholic]

I need some suggestions - I am trying to think of a great place for my daughter's birthday dinner. She will be 11. We will arrive at WDW on her birthday, in the afternoon, we do not want to use park tickets but we want a fun place.....Any ideas out there??? (It will be Saturday, Presiden't weekend!)

[wendy*darling]

Well, the first place that comes to mind for FUN celebrations is Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary! Lots of good food, singing and napkin twirling, Mickey and the gang- who could ask for more?

If she likes princesses (Cinderella in particular) I would also suggest Cinderella's Gala Feast in the Grand Floridian. Also a buffet (with excellent choices), she will be greeted by Cinderella, Prince Charming, the mice and Fairy Godmother (she's usually in the lobby).

'Ohana's is another good choice to kick off a vacation and celebrate a birthday. No characters, but lots of fun, all you can eat good food, and perhaps a view of Wishes during dinner if you time it right.

If you want to go all out- Hoop Dee Doo over at Fort Wilderness is tons of fun, and the birthday girl will be recognized as well.

And don't forget Downtown Disney- lots of restaurants there too.

[IloveDisney71]

You can't go wrong with Ohanas. Lots of great food and it's a fun environment. The Rain Forest Cafe is also lots of fun.

[dolphinmickey9170]

wendy darling pretty much hit the same suggestion I was going to give. That's why she's a moderator, she knows her stuff!!

[Stan]

I like all the suggestions, but I would second the vote for Chef Mickey's... what a great place to start your vacation. If you time it right you can walk out on the balcony afterward to watch fireworks. (Can someone please confirm my balcony suggestion? -they are constantly changing things around in the Contemporary. )

[CleveSJM]

What is your DD's favorite food? Whispering Canyon can be a lot of fun. The Boardwalk has a nice selection of restaurants and is a great place to spend the evening.

[shan-ash]

Another vote for Chef's Mickey

[OogieBoogieMan]

There are a bunch of restaurants you can choose from at the resorts, some of which have been mentioned here. As a suggestion you might want to gather a list that meet your budget and let you daughter pick the actual spot based on the input you get and the descriptions. My son loves it when we let him choose.

[Vinny]

Put me down as another vote for Ohana's. Me and my father (both adults) ate there on our last trip in early June and it instantly became our favorite dinner experience in all of our years at WDW. The dinner and entertainment are fun for both adults and especially children. During the act, all children who want to participate are given maracas and then form a line in back of the main entertainer. They then proceed to walk all around the restaurant playing the maracas all at once. Also, at another point in the show, the entertainer will ask if anyone is celebrating a special occasion so your daughter would have the chance to be congratulated by everyone at the restaurant.

[mousaholic]

What is your DD's favorite food? Whispering Canyon can be a lot of fun. The Boardwalk has a nice selection of restaurants and is a great place to spend the evening.

My DD's is pretty easy going with the type of foods she likes, she does however have gluten intolerance so I need to take that into consideration. All of these suggestions are wonderful! We are spending my son's birthday at Chef Mickey's in August, I wonder if we should do that with her in February as well!

Are there other character meals at resorts that I am overlooking?

[Becky'sMom]

I can confirm that there is a fireworks viewing level at the contemporary as of last week when we had dinner at Chef Mickey's. I do have to confess that I caught a bit of an attitude from Donald.....Ducks....go figure.
We had a nice dinner anyway - Mickey, Minnie and Goofy were all very hospitable.
Lauren

[mousaholic]

I can confirm that there is a fireworks viewing level at the contemporary as of last week when we had dinner at Chef Mickey's. I do have to confess that I caught a bit of an attitude from Donald.....Ducks....go figure.
We had a nice dinner anyway - Mickey, Minnie and Goofy were all very hospitable.
Lauren

What do you think would be a good time for a dinner reservation with regard to the starting time of the fireworks?

[moe513]

A dinner show sounds like a nice idea. Most prefer hoopdee do over the spiriy of aloha.If she like princess ,1900 park fare has cinderella, the prince, 2 mice and the fairy god mother. The food is also outstanding.

[wendy*darling]

What do you think would be a good time for a dinner reservation with regard to the starting time of the fireworks?

That would depend on where you are eating.
If you choose Chef Mickey's, then you have to be finished with your meal before the fireworks start. So I would try for an ADR about 1.5 hrs prior to the fireworks. You will leave the restaurant and go to the viewing balcony- I think it is on the 4th floor? Maybe 6? I do know it is no longer the one at the top of the Contemporary- that is only for guests dining at California Grill.

If you choose Ohana's, then you could pick an ADR time about 1 hr prior. That way you should be just about done when the lights go down in the restaurant for the fireworks. You can see them right there from most tables. OR, if you plan to eat earlier, you can head out to the Poly Beach after dinner and catch the fireowrks and possibly the Electrical Water Pagent as well.

The Grand Floridian would follow the same advice as Chef Mickey's. You want to be finished and leave the restaurant before the fireworks start. Just head out to the GF beach and watch from there.
If you go to Whispering Canyon, there aren't really any good viewing spots there.

[ImagiAsh]

Another vote for Chef Mickey's here as well. You really can't go wrong with it. If she would rather not do Character dining, I would recommend 50s Prime Time in MGM. It's nothing but fun over there and they love to make big productions to celebrate birthdays!

[mousaholic]

Thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions...

[wdwfansince75]

Last year, we celebrated our then future DDIL's birthday at 1900 Park Fair....excellent choice! She received Royal Treatment.....we got plenty of time from all of the characters, especially Prince Charming. This is a special treat for any Princess, no matter what age!

The food was excellent, and our party of 10 (including DGS's 13 and 9, and DGD's 13 and 6) all found something we loved.

Earlier that same week, we celebrated the birthday of DGS 13 at Trails End....another great choice, although it is not a character meal.

We have also previously done birthdays at Chef Mickey's, and always enjoyed the events.